The former “road to Cassis” passes through this district, which extends southward in the direction of Les Calanques National Park. It is comprised of a tissue of residential zones and denser urban areas growing up around a core village. Over the years a number of modifications and additions have been grafted onto the school. These were all carried out in answer to the evolving needs of the institution. Here, the stated objectives were to restore functional coherence, improve the quality of the environment and initiate a general renewal by taking advantage of the rich potential of the location, the space and the vegetation. The project also aimed to strengthen the visual presence of the institution in the city and to rethink the layout of exterior spaces and the management of the main flows.
The volume extends along the public space, in the spirit of the typology of the grand estates of Mazargues. The expression of a simple wall creates the ringfenced character of a place of learning but its porosity invites dialogue, thereby allowing the reception area to appear in the heart of the institution. A vernacular motif inspired by the vocabulary of the regional single house model, element of the flower-shaped trellised panel, inscribes the outline of the “trinity cross” in the thickness of the walls, adds a softness, an additional vibration to the simplicity of the volumes.
Nature is placed at the center of the composition. The vast island of coolness is preserved. A prairie bordered by plane trees structures the site, giving it a contemplative character. A park offering student access extends this area, following the natural slope downward to the lower area of the site. Around this major landscaped area, the extension of the upper secondary school and the elementary school are situated on two levels, completing the open cloister layout and allowing the historic building’s characteristic silhouette, the gable of the chapel, to emerge. The historic building, former “boarding school for disadvantaged young girls of Mazargues”, has undergone a complete refurbishing (strengthening of the floorings, dual flow control mechanical ventilation, upgrading electrical and lighting standards). The façades have been completely renovated and coated with a traditional, artisanal lime render.
The constructive expression is that of slabs placed upon simple structural walls. Perforated façade panels made of fiber-reinforced concrete are inserted between these structural lines. They provide the broad openings of the classrooms with protection from the sun. The same pattern, impressed into the curtain walls of the façade, clerestory for the panels, projects the interlaced curves of the “trinity cross”. All learning spaces benefit from double exposure with an orientation ensuring even, natural light in the classrooms and natural ventilation of the premises. An original independent mechanical ventilation system that preheats the air has been integrated as well.
Project Sheet
Address: 55 avenue Delattre de Tassigny, Marseille, France
Program: Rehabilitation and extension of the Sainte Trinité school: amphitheater, middle school and high school, entrance sequences, and redevelopment of exterior spaces
Client: Religieuses Trinitaires de Valence / OGEC Sainte Trinité
Assistant to the Contracting Authority: Christian Lions Patacchini, CCC
Architects: LACUBE Architectes (leading architect), ILR Architecture
Project management team: Coralie Geai, Lucie Marty
All trades: EGE - Acoustics: A2MS - Landscape: Marc Richier
Surface: 4,000 m²
Budget: €8,000,000 excl. VAT
Calendar: Delivered in 2021
